On view permanently in the Variety Unit, Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT.

Shelburne Museum’s world-renowned collections of art and Americana span four centuries and include some of the most outstanding examples anywhere of fine and decorative arts, folk art, circus collections, textiles, toys, carriages, decoys, and more. From French Impressionism to American ingenuity, Shelburne Museum has something for everyone.

The Museum’s collections are housed in thirty-nine buildings spread out over forty-five beautifully landscaped acres. Among these are twenty-five significant examples of historic New England architecture, relocated to the Museum grounds to provide a historic setting for the Museum’s treasures. The result is an unconventional and totally immersive museum experience that delights visitors of all ages.

Francie and John Downing Senior Curator of American Art Kory Rogers has unveiled artist Mara Superior’s Shelburne Museum Collection Plaque celebrating her favorite treasures from the Museum’s collection. As part of her 2025 solo exhibition Porcelain Love Letters: The Art of Mara Superior, the artist was commissioned to design and create one of her signature plaque platters inspired by Shelburne Museum’s collection. The bespoke work, Superior’s curatorial selections, pays tribute to Shelburne Museum founder Electra Havemeyer Webb’s vision. In this reflection, Superior shares her long-standing affection for the Museum and explains how its remarkable holdings informed the design.

“Shelburne Museum has held a special place in my heart for many years. I first visited with my late husband, the artist and educator Roy Superior, and we were both enchanted. Each time we crossed into Vermont, Roy would breathe deeply and say, “Ahhh! Vermont is my favorite state! I can breathe!” He admired its beauty, quiet spirit, and sense of wonder.

It’s a profound honor to return to this extraordinary Museum with an exhibition of my work in 2025. In addition to the show, I was commissioned to create a work in response to the Museum’s collections—an opportunity I embraced with great joy.

My response,  Shelburne Museum Collection, is a celebratory and commemorative miniature gathering of some of my favorite objects from the Museum’s vast holdings. It is also a thank you letter of sorts to Electra Havemeyer Webb, the Museum’s visionary founder, who rescued and preserved so many marvelous things.

In this work, I’ve included a miniature replica of the Ticonderoga, those magnificent  Chelsea Swan Tureens, a schoolgirl’s needlework sampler, a wooden mermaid weathervane, and more. Each detail is chosen with affection and intention—a curated love letter to Shelburne’s whimsy, history, and enduring spirit.

And somewhere within it all, I carry Roy’s love of Vermont, his keen eye, and his joy in discovering the unexpected.”

~Mara Superior

This piece is part of Superior’s Collections series, in which she builds groups of miniaturized replicas of real ceramic objects. Learn more about the series here.

Mara Superior, Shelburne Museum Collection Platter, 2026. High-fired English porcelain, ceramic oxides, underglazes, Cornwall Stone glaze, and gold leaf, 14 1/2 x 19 x 1 5/8 in. Collection of Shelburne Museum, Museum Purchase. 2026-10. John Polak Photography.